May 19, 2020

How do I print to my local printers from my VPS? (Printer Redirection)

Abhishek Thakur

If you’re trying to print files to your local printers from a VPS, you must ensure to add the following in your pre-checklist: 

  1. Ensure that your local printer is working and the driver for the local printer is correctly installed on the remote server (from which you’ll command printing)

Note: if you’re using multiple layers of RDP, then you must make sure that the printer driver is installed on servers at each level. 

2. Next, you must ensure that the ‘Printers’ option is checked in the local resources of the Remote Desktop client.

How to do that? Here’s a step by step process to make sure that printers are checked in the resource of the Remote Desktop client. 

  • For Remote Desktop Client 
  • Open up the Remote Desktop Connection on your local machine (desktop or laptop)
  • Click on Options
  • Click on the Local Resources tab. 
  • Now, ensure that ‘Printers’ checkbox is checked under the ‘Local devices and resources’ section.

3. Finally, you may also need to ensure that the Print Spool Service is all set to start automatically.

Now, how will you set the print Spooler Service to start automatically?

Follow the following steps for the same: 

  • Click on Start → Run
  • Type services.msc
  • Locate the Print Spooler Service and double click on it
  • Find the Startup type on screen and then set it up to ‘Automatic.’ 
  • After setting it up to ‘Automatic’ and then click Apply
  • Click ‘OK’ 
  • Now, exit out the Services console. 

Now, when the above prerequisites steps are done with utmost sincerity, you must then follow the below process to get your printers to redirect. 

NOTE: You must ONLY follow the below processes stepwise. 

Step1: Login to the server through Remote Desktop Connection

Step2: Restart the Print Spooler Service

Step3: Log off. Don’t click on the ‘X’ for the Remote Desktop Client, but you must log off by clicking Start → Log Off. 

Step4: Log back in via Remote Desktop

Step5: You should see your local printer redirected. 

In case, while following the process, the printers disappear, you must follow the above process again. 

We hope this blog will help you in printing the files from local printers while you’re logged in with a remote desktop or VPS.

Read More: How to fix wrong disk space for Private RDP Users

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